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Grado Sonata1 Ref Vs. Audio Technica AT33EV

I've been using a Grado Sonata1 Reference cart for the past 1.5 years, and recently upgraded my speakers from monitors to floor standers. Now with the more pronounced bass, I'm noticing the Grado is a bit washy in the bass. The quantity if there, and it goes deep, but it's a bit soft. This is with a PS Audio GCPH and a Clearaudio Emotion TT. I'm considering making the switch to a more budget-friendly MC cart, particularly the AT33EV. Has anyone heard both the AT33EV and the Grado Sonata1 and can make a fair comparison?

Things I love about the Grado are: absolutely beautiful midrange, delicate treble, great harmonic detail, timbre, and lushness, soundstage. Really the only things I can think of that would need improving might be the bass "cleanliness", and perhaps a tad more extension in the treble. Maybe the AT33EV can't live up to all that?
jwglista
davide256's avatar
davide256
395 posts
 
the Grado does fine in the bass... look elsewhere. It's deficits are lack of the high frequency "air" of moving coils and more emphasis of surface noise. Assuming you don't have the same lack of bass definition with digital sources, you could be describing a possible symptom of bass feedback interference with a TT. So try some distance between your TT and the speakers.
stringreen's avatar
stringreen
6,366 posts
 
Jwglista....I upgraded to a Benz LP...now I'm using an LPS.
jwglista OP
206 posts
 
Davide256: It's strange that you say that, cause to my ears, it seems to do well with surface noise. The TT is on a wall mount shelf far enough away from the speakers, so I don't think that's an issue. Maybe I can experiment with the VTA a bit, raise the back end of the tone arm a bit. I'm hesitant to do that because I know that will mess up the cartridge alignment a bit, which is spot on right now.

Stringreen: Wow that's quite an upgrade. I bet it sounds fantastic. I was thinking of moving up to the Ace someday.
tanathen78
25 posts
 
I'm currently using the same cartridge in my setup and the bass is fine (to me) I have the cartridge tipped slightly back so the arm is slightly below parallel with the platter. It it visibly tipped so I can see it that way from looking at it from the side. Anything above that always sounded worse to me. Its worth messing around with, sometimes you can end up with more than you hoped for.

Good luck,
Bill
stringreen's avatar
stringreen
6,366 posts
 
Any adjustment one makes to the tonearm (raise/lower the rear end, etc.) means you have to adjust all the other parameters as well (vtf, move the cartridge forward or back in the headshell, check azimuth, etc.)
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